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Windows 8

Windows 8 offers the experiences that users love while delivering enterprise-grade capabilities that IT departments need. Whether you want to upgrade your PCs to Windows 8, gain access to exclusive offerings such as Windows 8 Enterprise edition and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, or use Windows with greater flexibility, there is a Microsoft Volume Licensing solution that is right for your organization.

Software Assurance (SA) for Windows is the path to enabling flexible workstyles by providing access to Windows instances in a variety of ways across devices. With access to the unique offerings and use rights listed below, Software Assurance for Windows provides the maximum value for your investment.

When purchasing new PCs with a qualifying operating system preinstalled, you can acquire Software Assurance through Volume Licensing within 90 days of the purchase date of the new PCs.

Unique Benefits of Software Assurance for Windows (PDF, 168 KB)

Benefit

Description

Windows 8 Enterprise
Windows 8 Enterprise edition is available through Software Assurance for Windows and includes all the capabilities of Windows 8 Pro, plus premium features designed to meet the mobility, productivity, security and manageability, and virtualization.
Windows Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) Rights
Windows VDA Rights enable users to access virtual instances of Windows in a variety of user scenarios.
Windows To Go
Windows To Go is a fully manageable corporate desktop running Windows 8 Enterprise edition on a bootable USB stick. This use right allows Windows To Go to be run on any device licensed with Software Assurance for Windows.
Roaming Use Rights
Roaming Use Rights allow the primary user of any licensed device to access a virtual instance of Windows running in the datacenter (VDI) or Windows To Go from non-corporate devices such as personally owned or hotel business center PCs while away from the office.
Windows RT Companion VDA Rights
Windows RT Companion VDA Rights allow the primary user of a licensed device rights to access a corporate desktop through a VDI from a corporate-owned companion Windows RT device with no additional Windows license required.
Enterprise Sideloading of Windows 8 Apps
Receive the necessary use rights required to enable deployment of touch centric Windows 8 apps directly to devices within an organization as opposed to being installed through the public Windows Store.
Windows Thin PC
Windows Thin PC is a smaller footprint version of Windows 7 that enables organizations to repurpose existing PCs as thin clients, thereby reducing the need for new thin client hardware. This benefit applies only to devices licensed with Software Assurance for Windows.
Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP)
MDOP is an optional subscription add-on that enables businesses to virtualize the operating system applications and the user experience, manage Windows features, and restore user productivity after a system issue.
Windows Companion Subscription License (CSL)
The Windows CSL is an optional subscription add-on that grants the primary user of a licensed device the rights to access a corporate desktop through either a VDI or Windows To Go on up to four devices capable of leveraging these technologies. Devices eligible for licensed use include any type of personally owned device as well as corporate-owned non-x86 devices.

Windows 8 Pro

Volume Licensing is the most cost effective way for commercial customers to upgrade existing PCs to Windows 8. If PCs are not already covered by Software Assurance, you can purchase upgrade licenses through a Volume Licensing program to gain access to Windows 8 Pro. Upgrades are available through Microsoft Volume Licensing programs for small to midsize organizations such as Open License, Open Value, Open Value Subscription or Select Plus.

Add Microsoft Software Assurance to your Volume Licensing agreement and move up to Windows 8 Enterprise. Software Assurance is a cost-effective program that provides new product versions and exclusive technologies—including Windows 8 Enterprise edition and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP). Software Assurance also helps you use IT to maximize your productivity with deployment planning, training, and support benefits.

Windows 8 Enterprise

Windows 8 Enterprise is available exclusively as a benefit of Microsoft Software Assurance through Volume Licensing programs such as Select Plus, Enterprise Agreement, and Enterprise Subscription Agreement.

Your IT professionals can download Windows 8 Enterprise from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) and deploy it on your organization’s computers.

Next steps

Windows Volume Licensing

Properly licensed Microsoft operating systems (such as Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP) have either a full operating system (OS) license or the combination of an upgrade operating system license and a pre-existing, full operating system license. If you do not have a pre-existing full license for a genuine OS on your PC, see Get Genuine Legalization Solutions.

Only certain editions of the Windows operating system qualify for upgrades under Volume Licensing agreements. The table below lists the qualifying editions of Windows eligible for the Volume Licensing upgrade under each Volume Licensing program.

If your OS license qualifies, you can purchase the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade license, under your Volume Licensing agreement. It is important to understand that Windows licenses that are available through Volume Licensing are upgrade-only licenses and can only be acquired on top of a base OS license. These licenses are not a replacement for a pre-existing full OS license.

The following conditions must be met for a licensed PC to be eligible for a Volume Licensing upgrade license:

  • A licensed, qualifying Windows operating system must already be installed on the device that will be assigned the Volume Licensing upgrade license. The following table lists base OS licenses—including preinstalled original equipment manufacturer (OEM) versions—that are eligible for upgrade.

  • You must remove the existing qualifying OS from the device in order to deploy the Volume Licensing upgrade license, unless the PC is covered by Microsoft Software Assurance.

  • Customers who want to install or run more than one licensed OS at one time (including the qualifying OS), may either:

    • Acquire Software Assurance for their Volume Licensing upgrade license.

    • Purchase full Windows licenses separately.

*N, K, and KN are specialized editions available for certain markets.

Download the Qualifying Operating Systems document (PDF, 157 KB)

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